German firm to film tale of kidnap victim Kampusch

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German production company plans to film the story of kidnap victim Natascha Kampusch, the Austrian schoolgirl who was held in a cell beneath a house garage for over eight years after her abduction in 1998.

“I really appreciate that Natascha Kampusch has put her faith in us to film her story,” Eichinger said in a statement.

Filming on the project is due to start in 2011, with the film scheduled to appear in cinemas the following year. It was not yet clear who would play Kampusch or direct, the firm said.

The plight of Kampusch, now 22, made headlines worldwide after her escape in August 2006. Her captor, Wolfgang Priklopil, 44, committed suicide hours after she escaped.

In 2008, the country again became the center of international media attention when it emerged that Austrian man Josef Fritzl had locked up and raped his daughter in a cellar over 24 years, fathering seven children with her.